No two mediums are better suited to keep us up to date with the latest news around COVID-19 than podcasts and Twitter. Oddly enough, Twitter was created after Apple built the iTunes Podcasts directory and essentially put Odeo out of business. The folks behind Odeo eventually went on to create Twittr, now known as Twitter. Apple has released a dedicated Apple Podcasts feature related to COVID-19 coverage. The news is changing by the hour during this crisis, and podcasts have been my outlet to stay up to date....

Earlier this week a bug was discovered that centered around a string of text that when received via a message would cause your iPhone Springboard to crash and the Messages app to crash continuously. At the time, Apple said it was aware of the bug and working to push an update to fix it. In the meantime however, the company tonight has published an official support document with a few suggestions on how to temporarily work around the issue....

The use of technology in retail has certainly expanded in the last decade. Mobile point of sale systems, in-store Wi-Fi, and Beacon technology have changed the job of retail IT managers. A new independent survey that was commissioned by Jamf shows that retail IT managers strongly prefer Apple technologies over those from Windows or Android. The survey was conducted by Vanson Bourne, and 700 retail IT decision-makers participated. Their findings show that 95% or more of those surveyed believe that mobile technology enables them to better optimize inventory planning and management, personalize the customer experience, and boost employee productivity....

Apple has a history of being one of the most environmentally conscious companies, and it’s about to take those efforts a step further. According to Apple’s 2017 Environment Responsibility Report released today, the company’s latest environmental initiative will see it “stop mining the earth altogether.” Apple says that it will start making devices entirely from recycled materials, including aluminum, copper, tin, and tungsten. The issue, however, is that the company doesn’t know how it’s going to do this yet....

This morning, Apple has released iTunes 11.0.4 with a focus on bug fixes. Notably, according to the release notes, a bug that would force iTunes to quit when syncing moves between wired and wireless states has been fixed. Additionally, a bug that forces users to repeatedly sign-in to the iTunes Store has also been squashed. The update is available via the Mac App Store’s Software Update function. Last month, Apple updated iTunes with a new Mini-Player design and other improved music sorting and playback views....

Apple has released a software update to the current OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 4 seed. The software update is not an entirely new developer preview, but simply an update to the already existing preview. Developers can access this software update via the Mac App Store. Apple has not provided specifics on what this update contains, but we will update on anything that we find. Updates: – Seed size is 1....

Update: Thompson has verified the policy change. We learned yesterday from developer James Thompson that Apple had informed him that the calculator widget for his app PCalc, which had already been approved and even featured by the App Store, would have to remove the widget from the app to remain available for sale. The reason Apple gave, according to Thompson’s tweets, is that “widgets on iOS cannot perform any calculations” which his PCalc calculator widget obviously did, but it seems Apple has since reversed that decision, according to iMore and TechCrunch....

Today’s best deals include $99 off Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad and HomePod at $200. You can also save big on the entire iPhone 11 lineup. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Take $99 off 10.2-inch iPad With a larger 10.2-inch display, Apple Pencil support, and compatibility with smart connector accessories, this is arguably one of the most compelling iPads in Apple’s stable currently. Includes an A10 Fusion chip, 8MP camera, and support for 1080p HD recording....

Update: Online chat with Apple support indicates Back to School is launching in Germany on August 8. It’s likely to roll out to the UK and other European countries the same day. This year’s Back to School deal, in which Apple offers a free pair of Beats headphones in addition to the normal education discount, is expected to be rolled out in the UK imminently. A source tells us that Apple is in the final stages of preparations for the UK launch of the deal, which was first announced in the U....

Apple could be planning to launch its annual Back to School sales promotion within the next two weeks. Apple Stores, according to several employees, will be changing the front of store glass window displays overnight on June 30th. This is the usual timeframe in which Apple launches a promotion to boost Mac, iPad, and iPhone sales in anticipation of the new school year in the fall. Last year, the Back to School promotion consisted of $100 App Store gift cards for Mac purchases and $50 cards for iPad and iPhone purchases by students with their Student IDs....

Earlier today, a data dump from WikiLeaks stated that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has a specialized unit within its Center for Cyber Intelligence that is devoted to obtaining zero-day exploits for iOS devices. The WikiLeaks information, however, also claimed that the CIA had lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal. Apple this evening has issued a statement on the matter, saying that “many of the issues leaked today were already patched” in the most recent version of iOS....

ifoAppleStore is reporting that employees of a Seattle area Apple Store are planning a 1PM walkout on October 3rd. Alderwood Mall retail employees cite “abusive” management and possible state and federal labor law violations at the store. Their complaints have have gone unheard (until now, most probably) by Apple’s upper management. According to insiders, the employees’ complaints haven’t been fully investigated by the company’s human resources department. After reaching an impasse with Sr....

According to reports from Bloomberg, Apple is close to reaching a deal with Time Warner to offer TV shows on Apple TV, while also apparently recruiting Hulu exec Pete Distad to lead negotiations for content: Distad is currently SVP of Marketing and Distribution at Hulu and in charge of content distribution and customer acquisition/retention on the company’s management team. According to his bio Distad’s current duties at Hulu include “subscriber acquisition and retention, paid, on-channel, and brand marketing, distribution and promotional partnerships, and content marketing....

We’ve made it halfway through the workweek, and all of today’s best deals are headlined by the very first discount on the All-new Apple TV Siri Remote at $50. That’s alongside a notable sale on Nomad’s new AirTags cases from $15 each and deep discounts on previous-generation Apple Watch models. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. All-new Apple TV Siri Remote sees first discount Having launched back in May, the new Siri Remote arrives as Apple’s refreshed home theater interface that’s compatible with both the latest and previous-generation Apple TV models....

Reno City Council is set to discuss Apple potentially purchasing a half-city block of land for a new facility, according to KRNV. If accepted, this would follow Apple’s decisions in building out a $50 million data center in Reno. In initial city records, Apple was shown to be contemplating leasing the land from the developer. The upcoming discussion introduces an amendment where Apple is now inquiring into purchasing the land instead....

Apple has today shared its 2019 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report that details how its business and suppliers impact people, the planet, and more. Across 2018, Apple says that core labor rules violations dropped and it didn’t find any serious safety or health violations. It also shared that over 17 million supplier employees have now been trained on their rights, and it saw more of its suppliers than ever achieve a high-performing rating....

Apple is rolling out a new firmware update for AirPods Max users. The company does not provide many details on new AirPods Max firmware updates, but this new version brings the over-ear headphones to 3C39. Unfortunately, there are no release notes for AirPods Max firmware updates. This update comes, however, as many users complain of battery drain issues, with and without the included Smart Case. Some users have also reported connectivity issues when using AirPods Max with a Mac....

Apple has released a new version of their iAd Producer software with several enhancements and new features. iAd Producer version 2.1 is faster so loading and saving for iAd Producer files happens more quickly. Additionally, exporting of iAds is quicker and utilizes less device memory. On the new features side of things, iAd Producer 2.1 extends support to the third-generation iPad with the Retina Display, allows for on-device ad debugging, and now supports WebGL assets....

[Update: Now available.] Apple is releasing its fourth iOS 12.1.3 developer beta later today, only 3 days after releasing its third beta. The release notes only mention bug fixes, but we’ll update if anything interesting can be found on the new beta. iOS 12 has seen numerous updates such as Group FaceTime, Dual SIM support, and other notable changes as part of iOS 12.1 and iOS 12.1.1. We’ll keep this post updated with new details and findings as we discover what’s new in the latest beta....

Apple apparently showed interest in acquiring the music rap battle live-streaming website Verzuz. Bloomberg says Apple proposed an acquisition price, but the platform was ultimately acquired by Triller for a higher amount. Presumably, the acquisition would have fed into Apple Music or Apple TV content. For a time last year, Apple hosted Verzuz livestreams through the Apple Music app. The Verzuz livestreams over Apple Music ended when the Triller deal was announced....